User Menu

Memberships

Online Blogs

One time offers are a great way to market to your email list. You might be offering the same product as usual but for a special one time price, today only. Or you might bundle a free product with your regular offerings and offer that to the recipients on your list at no extra charge one time only. One of the so-called secrets of successful marketing is employing a sense of urgency in your marketing efforts. Brick and mortar retailers use this strategy all the time to encourage hordes of shoppers to attend their “one day sale.”

You don’t necessarily have to market to a list to promote a one-time offer. You can simply create a sales page and promote it in other ways to capitalize on a one-time offer. A word of caution: when you advertise a one-time offer, make sure that you stick to your own terms in your advertisement. If your one-time offer is for one day only then make sure you take it down after one day or you will lose credibility with customers and potential customers.

Most Internet marketers are familiar with the Warrior Forum and if you’re not, you should be. This is one of the Internet’s highest esteemed places where Internet marketers gather to share ideas and promote their products. In fact, members who have made a certain number of posts and have become genuine members of the community can participate in “special offers.” This is where a member offers a product or service for a special price for a limited amount of time. The idea is to give other members a special deal so you would not offer something in this thread at your regular price but at a deeply discounted price.

Hold Your Own Special Event

Of course, you can hold your own special event whenever you like on your terms simply by creating a special product at an attractive price or discounting a product or service you already offer. Some Internet marketing gurus have made thousands of dollars in one weekend by offering some of their best products at deeply discounted rates. The key to this kind of success, though, is to already have a reputation built up not only of yourself, but of your products so that when you offer a special rate or hold a special event that others realize the value of your sale. They realize the value because they are familiar with your regular prices and also because they know your reputation and they realize the offer really will be pulled at the time you say it will.

Many Internet marketers give away something free in order to get people to sign up for their email opt-in lists. This is an excellent way to build a list and it also helps to build trust among your customers and future customers. You can also give away free items as bonuses when customers purchase your main item. Try to avoid giving away something free upon purchase unless you disclose that at the very beginning or you risk annoying potential customers and ensuring they will never buy from you.

I recently received a rather intriguing email that promised me something absolutely free from an Internet marketer whose opt in list I had joined. I was excited to continue my budding relationship with this marketer and accept his free gift until I reached the end of the email and learned I would have to buy something in order to receive this “free” gift. While the so called free item might indeed be free, I was highly annoyed that he had wasted my time and I immediately unsubscribed from his list. While I am all for buy this and get that free” campaigns, there is something to be said for early disclosure.

Now I’m not saying it is wrong to perpetuate the kind of Internet marketing campaign I received in my email. What I am saying, though, is that you risk annoying and alienating potential customers if they feel that you are trying to pull the wool over their eyes. You’ll have to search your Internet marketing conscience to see how you feel about using this particular concept.

You might also consider offering your regular customers something free every now and then to foster good will and to keep the lines of communication open. Never take your customers for granted because there are literally thousands of Internet marketers who would like to steal your customers. Remember, you are building relationships with your customers and your goal is to turn customers into loyal customers so that when a slick Internet marketer comes along with a great deal, your customers won’t be swayed.

Make sure that the products you give away actually offer value to your customers or they will ignore further offerings from you. Offering your customers junk, free or not, will brand you as an Internet marketer that offers junk. You want to build a reputation for offering quality products, even the ones you offer at no cost. Remember, too, that word of mouth travels even faster on the Internet than it does in the brick and mortar retail world. Impress your customers and they will tell their friends. You know what will happen if you don’t impress them.